MFW Adventures...

[staceyobu]

I am considering this next year for a first grader who is reading and writing well already in K (probably reading at a 4th+ grade level). It would line up with our classical conversations material.

 

I'm wondering if someone could tell me what I will find different from Sonlight? Does it come with readers for the child to read? If not, how do I figure those out? Also, how does the Book Basket work? Are the books broken up into topic and grade level?

 

Thanks for any information!

[snickelfritz]

We are using Adventures. My disclaimer is that we ditched components gradually, until we are only left using the history. But my girls REALLY like the history portion. It doesn't have as many books going at one time as Sonlight. We might have a reading from a spine book and a novel. We do some book basket books, but I've been pleased that the program has gone well on weeks I didn't get any.

 

It also has hands-on activities. We've constructed the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, made wigwams and tee-pees, and we are about to make oil-paper windows. That's something Sonlight doesn't include, as I understand it.

 

Book basket books are given each week by topic. They will often point some easy readers, but it not always and it doesn't come with readers.

 

I actually finally just bought a Sonlight reading schedule.

[kidswife]

I've used MFW for K and now we're in 1st. I was debating skipping Adventures next year, but after reading (and writing) a lot on the MFW Forums, I'm considering trying Adventures out. I hear great things about it. Many moms have boasted that it was their family's favorite year.

My advice to you is to go over to the MFW message boards and pose your question in detail. There are many great advisors there who can help you and I've run into several who have experience with Classical Conversations and Sonlight.

[Mom0012]

I've used SL Pre-k through core 4 (currently working through this) and half of Adventures. After using SL Pre-K and K, I decided to try Adventures over the summer because I was curious. The assigned reading is much, much lighter in Adventures but my kids did enjoy it. I used the book basket as recommended, which was just letting the kids spend some time looking at the books each day, so I was not happy with the amount of reading. In hindsight, if I had wanted to make Adventures work, I should have taken some of the best books from the book basket and used them as read-alouds to add to our reading.

 

MFW does not come with readers, but if your child is reading so well, you could let them pick books from the book basket to read as their readers.

 

There are some easy, fun activities in MFW Adventures as well as reading. There are no activities in SL.

 

The religious aspect is integrated throughout MFW, whereas Bible is pretty much a separate subject in SL, with some missionary stories thrown in.

 

I found the bible portions of MFW very good and was moved myself at times when I made connections, but surprisingly, the kids did not make the connections I made and did not seem to like it as well. I think they felt like I was lecturing to them, whereas with SL, we just read the bible (which they love).

 

Both are good programs, it just depends on what your preferences are.

 

Lisa

Edited October 16, 2010 by LisaTheresa

[cbollin]

Does it come with readers for the child to read? If not, how do I figure those out? Also, how does the Book Basket work? Are the books broken up into topic and grade level?

 

Thanks for any information!

 

MFW doesn't come with readers in order to keep cost down. They have 2 library lists in the manuals. One is for General classics for "reading" that don't have to be related to history topic. Those are sorted by grade level.

 

The other list is for book basket where the titles are listed by week they'd work in the program, descriptions of the book, age/grade ranges, (although ADV is written in mind for a more narrow age range than the other programs.) Heads up notes if needed about the book.

 

Book basket works like a buffet in some ways. You have a list. You don't have to use the exact titles if your library doesn't have the specific books to make basket work. So, the titles are options to go with the topics. You'll find a variety of genre: non fiction, historical fiction, cook books, craft books. They can finish a book from basket. But if they really don't like a book or the style, it's ok to not finish it either. Like you would while browsing at library or bookstore.

 

Over the years, basket has been a fun time for us to enjoy books. Sometimes I'll pull out the longer novels and read those out loud, or assign them as "readers".

 

-crystal

[Karen M]

We have used MFW through all levels, except Adventures-but I am going to use it with my last. I have friends that loved the program and we used several of the books as a supplement to the older American History program. I like MFW-the lesson plans are all in one page and not as overwhelming as Sonlight-my oldest is in SL 200 right now. I am not crazy about all the science books in some of the programs, but am supplementing with God's Design. If your child is good reader-you don't need a reading program. Just keep doing Lang and then let her pick books to read to you and continue to read to her. You can use SL readers as a recommended list if you are uncomfortable picking. Book basket is a basket of books that you keep on hand and tell the child to pick one and read (I think it is 15 min) the list is in the back of the teachers manual and they explain each book and age. This worked great for my oldest who loves to read, but my second I have to assign books as part of school.

Hope that helps.

[snickelfritz]

I looked back over my reply and I wish I had been more specific. I was on my I-phone, and it's harder to type on.

 

There was nothing wrong with Adventures Bible and Science--except it was too many activities that I had to pull together. We tend to do all activities on 2 or 3 days. So, I was pulling together the supplies for history and science and Bible and trying to keep the activities straight. There wasn't even that much, but it was too much for *me*.

 

So, I switched science to something that was all-inclusive. There's a kit that has ALMOST everything. And the topics were similar to Adventures, so I was able to use the magnet kit that came with it when we came to it in Sonlight. Plus, I like the activity sheets and the DVD. It was just a better fit for me.

 

The Bible also had some crafts and activities (it was simple stuff...really....but it STRESSED me out) and, on top of it, our church sends home a daily Bible activity that I was also doing. So, I switched to just doing our church sheet, reading the VOS Bible with them, and using a book called 801 Questions Kids Have About God.

 

That leaves me only really needing book basket books and supplies for history, which simplified my life.

[Homeschooling6]

MFW doesn't come with readers in order to keep cost down. They have 2 library lists in the manuals. One is for General classics for "reading" that don't have to be related to history topic. Those are sorted by grade level.

 

 

 

-crystal

 

I would LOVE for MFW to add reader packages for those who would prefer not to use the library. This is my only con with MFW world :D other than that I love MFW.

 

When I used K and 1st I ended up purchasing many of the readers.

[cbollin]

I would LOVE for MFW to add reader packages for those who would prefer not to use the library. This is my only con with MFW world :D other than that I love MFW.

 

When I used K and 1st I ended up purchasing many of the readers.

 

 

hi Linda,

I know I wished and prayed that MFW and someone like Books Bloom could have gotten together and had book basket packages for people with library troubles. Oh, how I begged and pleaded with Jan Bloom. I told her it would be instant sales! But, that's not her style she said. oh well. I tried. ;) I was about you and others.

 

It's always possible to use other reader packages from other sources, but yeah, it would be neat to order from one place. :001_smile:

 

-crystal

[AmyinMD]

I would LOVE for MFW to add reader packages for those who would prefer not to use the library. This is my only con with MFW world :D other than that I love MFW.

 

When I used K and 1st I ended up purchasing many of the readers.

 

I would too. We've only done 2 weeks of Exp to 1850 and we haven't done a book basket book yet. I have a decent library but getting over there during their very limited hours is a struggle. Plus I need to be on top of things and request in advance because the library is small so something almost always has to be sent from another branch. I'd much rather buy a book package.

 

What I think I may do is buy Core 3 Advanced Readers and use those with my 5th grader. I'm planning to do Adventures for 2nd grade with my twins after we do MFW 1. We'll be done with MFW K in the next couple months. I've been thinking I'd use the Readers from WP AS 1 with Adventures mainly because I already own them but I haven't purchased Adventures yet to see if that would work.

[cyndi60]

I just wondered if MFW is more along the lines of CMason than it is classical?

Thanks

Cyndi

Wife to dh of almost 30yrs.

Mother to 6 28-11

Homeschooled since 1986

[cbollin]

I just wondered if MFW is more along the lines of CMason than it is classical?

Thanks

Cyndi

Wife to dh of almost 30yrs.

Mother to 6 28-11

Homeschooled since 1986

 

 

that's a topic of debate because MFW tries to blend influences of CM into classical. So it begins to be degrees of how much. It's like how much half and half you add to your coffee cup each morning. ok. so, I need more coffee today.. anyway. blush.

 

Here's an older thread on MFW's board about the CM influence

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4004&hilit=influence

 

Then, as the years go on, MFW takes more of a classical flavor. MFW definitely has several stages of learning ala classical philosophies. Uses encyclopedia references. uses SOTW. :)

but does latin and greek roots instead of latin/greek as full language study. I guess my brain power is low this morning to type much. But definitely in the K-2 (learning to read stage), I think MFW has more CM in it than classical. But it changes as the family gets older :)

 

somewhere out there is a workshop of MFW's where they talk about the blending of CM and classical and unit studies. And they also have a workshop cd on 21st century classical education

http://www.mfwbooks.com/workshops.htm

 

probably worth hearing those to know if the goals they have meet your goals.

 

-crystal

[Donna A.]

One thing to keep in mind about Book Basket is that Marie has asterisked some of the titles on that list which she recommends for purchase, if you're one who prefers to do it that way instead of using the library. I've not bought any of those resources because I already owned a few of them, and I also have a great library option. If we didn't, I'm sure I'd purchase more to keep on our own shelves.

 

I *have* purchased a few titles which were NOT asterisked/recommended purchases that we fell in love with after discovering them in Book Basket. :D

 

Here's another way I've used Book Basket over the years. MFW has "Book Basket" scheduled on the grid (weekly lesson plans), and there's also a scheduled "Reading" time. Sometimes I've combined the two by choosing books from the library stack and either used them as assigned reading if I wanted a certain child to read a certain book. So I might have an older child read a biography and then do a written narration on it to add to her notebook, or have a younger child read a picture book out loud to me for practice reading. Or I might choose one to read aloud and enjoy with everybody. :001_smile:

 

We've had seasons where we didn't necessarily "schedule" Book Basket time. We might choose a video from the list to watch all together with Dad in the evening. (He's learned a few things along the way, too. ;) )

 

I've also taken a stack of non-fiction books with beautiful pictures, put them in the middle of the table, and had those who are able go through the stack to find something about the topic that they didn't already know. Then I'll have them do a notebook page on that new fact. They can choose the method and medium for this... it might be a written narration, an illustration, tracing a picture in a book, using stickers or a coloring page I printed off the 'net, making a poster... whatever they like. This is one place individual style comes in. :coolgleamA:

 

Lots of ways to do it and enrich the learning. MFW is very flexible... which reminds me about the weekly grid.... I love that week-at-a-glance so I can rearrange assignments as needed depending on our schedule. There have been times where I was able to go right down the grid each day and just do the next thing as assigned. But right now we're in a very hectic season, so I have two days a week when we can do the hands-on stuff that's a bit more time consuming. Also, I don't do every single activity scheduled... we pick and choose based upon time and interest. And sometimes I have just one kid doing a certain activity, as the others aren't interested, or, as is the case with my middle dd, she can't stand anything that involves glue. :tongue_smilie:

 

I love that the *scheduled* reading is minimal and doable. Then I don't feel the pressure of not being able to get it all done if we run out of time or sickness hits.

 

About the readers (or lack thereof) .... I think this is part of where CM comes in. Miss Mason didn't do "reading curriculums", per se. She believed in reading real books, out loud as much as possible, picture study where pictures are in the book (or even doing "picture study" as a separate subject), and oral narrations which later become dictation and written narrations. This is the equivalent to what we know as "reading comprehension" programs. MFW schedules all that, and then adds another resource for using these skills with PLL beginning in 2nd grade (some wait til the second half of 2nd grade to start this), and then ILL from 4th-6th. MFW then recommends the Progeny Press study guides beginning in, what, 6th or 7th grade for more formal literary study.

 

And as a pp said, by not adding a formal "reading curriculum", it also helps to keep costs down. Many parents will add their own preferred "reading curriculum", anyway. So many options out there for this.